This popular gay mecca has seen a 95% drop in new HIV cases. Here’s how they did it.
statistics revealed that in 2022, Amsterdam had only nine new cases of HIV. That represents a 95% decline in new cases since 2010, when it recorded 201.Subscribe to our daily newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.Of those living with HIV in the city, 98% have a diagnosis.
Of those, 95% are on treatment and 95% are undetectable. This beats a 95-95-95 target set by UNAIDS for countries to aim for.As people who are undetectable cannot transmit the virus, the result is a dramatic fall in HIV cases.Even though Amsterdam is a small city (population 820,000), its reduction in HIV diagnoses is remarkable.
It points a way forward for other cities.By comparison, in New York City (population 7.9 million), there was a 14% increase in the annual number of new HIV diagnoses between 2020 and 2021, from 1,396 to 1,594 cases.The work to target HIV in the Netherlands capital falls under the remit of the HIV Transmission Elimination Amsterdam (H-TEAM) Initiative.Its project leader, Dr.
Godelieve de Bree, recently spoke to Aidsmap.com. She explained some of the reasons the city had successfully driven down infection rates.Here are some of the important takeaway points.1. H-TEAM worked hard to get all of those involved with treating HIV to work together.
